Maryland may not be be able to buyout Ralph Friedgen

Two prominent officials in the state university system said Monday that the economy has placed the University of Maryland on sensitive ground as it decides whether to retain football coach Ralph Friedgen or buy out the remaining $4 million of his contract while others endure budget cuts and furloughs. Friedgen, 62, in his ninth season, is expected to meet with athletic director Deborah Yow as early as Sunday to discuss his job status. Yow has publicly expressed her disappointment with the season so far - the Terrapins are 2-9 (1-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference). Her options include retaining him for the final two years of his contract or buying it out. Maryland’s season, the worst in Friedgen’s tenure, ends Saturday at Byrd Stadium against Boston College. He has a 66-45 record that includes six bowl appearances but also four losing seasons in the past six years. A buyout of any sort - even in the form of a loan from the school’s endowment - would raise questions in the current economic climate, said former U.S. Rep. Tom McMillen, a member of the Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Maryland. – Baltimore Sun